Safety device for antitheft device

ABSTRACT

In a lock comprising a rotor and a stator, the rotor being rotatable in the stator by means of a key from a first position to a second position, the improvement comprising means defining a first abutment associated with the rotor for rotation therewith, means defining a second abutment mounted in the lock nonrotationally relative to the axis of the rotor, the second abutment being in such engagement with the first abutment as to block rotation of the rotor from the first position to the second position when the rotor is in the first position, the manually operable means for shifting the second abutment out of the blocking engagement with the first abutment to permit rotation of the rotor from the first position to the second position.

United States Patent [7 2] Inventors Christian Pieck;

Guenter Schaumburg, both of Wuppertal- Langerfeld, Germany 21 AppL No.32,953 [22] Filed Apr. 29, 1970 [45] Patented Jan. 11, 1972 [73]Assignee Societe DExplotation Des Brevets Neiman S.A. Neuilly, France[32] Priority Apr. 30, 1969 [3 3 1 France [3 1 691378 1 [54] SAFETYDEVICE FOR ANTITI-IEFT DEVICE 6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figs. 9 [52] U.S. Cl.70/389, 70/252 [51] Int. Cl. .,'E05b11/00, EOSb 65/ 1 2 [50] Field ofSearch 70/389, 252, 431, 447, 419, 420, 421, 364 R, 364 A; 200/44 [5 6]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,321,298 11/1919 Frix 70/3891,795,547 3/1931 Fairchild 70/252 1,830,265 11/1931 Fairchild 70/2522,064,955 12/1936 Singer 70/364 A 3,216,230 11/1965 Falk 70/4213,486,355 12/1969 Halfyard 70/421 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,521,575 3/1968France 70/252 Primary Examiner- Robert L. Wolfe Attorney-Nolte and NolteABSTRACT: In a lock comprising a rotor and a stator, the rotor beingrotatable in the stator by means of a key from a first position to asecond position, the improvement comprising means defining a firstabutment associated with the rotor for rotation therewith, meansdefining a second abutment mounted in the lock nonrotationally relativeto the axis of the rotor, the second abutment being in such engagementwith the first abutment as to block rotation of the rotor from the firstposition to the second position when the rotor is in the first position,the manually operable means for shifting the second abutment out of theblocking engagement with the first abutment to permit rotation of therotor from the first position to the second position.

mama; mu 1 m2 3.633 '394 .SHEET 1 OF 2 PATENTED JAN] I 1912 v 3"633'394sum 2 or 2 D l l'i-l 1 HT :5 if i; A 1] xi j I I a SAFETY DEVICE FORANTITIIEFT DEVICE This invention relates to a safety device forantitheft devices for vehicles, particularly motor vehicles.

It is known that modern antitheft devices applied to vehicles areintended for the most part to lock an element essential to travellingother than the ignition switch, i.e., a control element such assteering, engine, brakes or gear change.

Such locking, which is desirable when the vehicle is at rest, is on theother hand harmful when it occurs accidentally during travelling.

Generally also, these apparatuses are operated by the rotation of a lockcylinder operated by a key having a toothing combination unique to thelock cylinder of the vehicle in question. It is particularly for thistype of antitheft device that the invention is intended. In commonembodiments of this type of device the lock cylinder employed to lockone of the aforementioned elements is the one which also serves tooperate and lock the ignition switch.

It is known that inadvertently, the vehicle being started, the drivercan withdraw the key (for example with the intention of shutting off theignition when rolling out of gear on a slope) and then this withdrawalof the key can cause the locking of the steering or of whatever othercritical element the lock cylinder locks, thus removing all possibilityof directing or controlling the movements of the vehicle.

In order to impede the untimely withdrawal of the key and to avoid thesedrawbacks, various devices have already been proposed; they generallyaim at braking the withdrawal movement or rendering it so laborious thatthe driver, obliged to exert an abnormal effort, becomes aware of hiserror.

The present invention preferably provides a device which completelyprevents the withdrawal of the key when the ignition is switched offuntil the driver has carried out a supplementary operation whichrequires, apart from the grasping of the key with two fingers, an effortexerted perhaps by another finger of the hand. Moreover, this effortpreferably takes place in a direction contrary to that of the pull whichtends to withdraw the key; this effort, because unaccustomed, is veryeffective as a safety measure. The effort in question preferably is athrust upon a mechanism provided for this purpose and which respondsonly to a thrust.

The invention will now be further described by reference to specificembodiments thereof as illustrated in the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of an antitheft device with the bolt engagedin a striking plate in the form of a ring fixed to the essentialelement, for example the steering column, the striking plate being shownin a section taken on a vertical plane passing through the axis ofstator 1, the key being in the withdrawal position I FIG. 2 is a frontelevation of the same antitheft device with the key in the same positionbut with the striking plate not i]- lustrated;

FIGS. 3 and 4 correspond to FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively, but with thekey in the position (I) corresponding to the garage" or parking"position;

FIG. 5 is on a larger scale in partial vertical axial section theantitheft device according to FIGS. 1 to 4 illustrating in detail one ofthe embodiments of the mechanism according to the invention, the keybeing in position (I) optionally permitting withdrawal of the key;

FIG. 6 is a partial section taken on section line CC of FIG.

FIGS. 7 and 8 correspond to FIGS. 5 and 6, respectively, but withcylinder 2 in position (0) and the key withdrawn, D- D being a sectionline corresponding to C-C; and

FIGS. 9 to 12 are another embodiment of the invention in views and keypositions corresponding to FIGS. 5 to 8, respectively, E-E and F --Fbeing section lines corresponding to C-C.

In FIG. 1, key is seen in the position (0), for which position and eachof the other positions markings are provided on the front face 1a ofstator 1, ready to be withdrawn from rotor or cylinder 2 which togetherwith the stator 1 comprises a lock mounted in a sleeve 3. By mechanismsknown per se and hence not illustrated herein, partial or completewithdrawal of the key only when in position (0) effects projection ofbolt 9 into striking plate 30a formed in ring 30.

In FIGS. 3 and 4 the key 10 and hence the cylinder 2 have been rotatedto the position (I) and can be rotated to the position (0) only if onepresses upon button 4, the button 4 being defined by the free end ofnoncylindrical stud 17.

The mechanism seen in section in FIGS. 5 to 8 is composed of a base I2attached to the cylinder 2 of the antitheft device, the cylinder 2bearing at the surface 13 on the base 12 and consequently rotating thebase 12 with the cylinder 2, when the latter is rotated by means of thekey 10 and the movement of the base 12 and consequently the cylinder 2is not stopped by the device which will be described.

The base 12 is provided with a raised portion 14 having a flange 15below which is defined a recess 16 in the periphery of the base 12.Opposite the flange'IS there is positioned a hook 24 formed on the lowerend of the noncylindrical stud 17, the stud 17 being biased upward bythe action of a spring 21 the lower end of which bears upon a shoulder25 of the stator and the upper end of which bears upon a stop providedin any manner at 20 on the body of the stud 17. In order to limit theamplitude of the displacement of the stud, a cotter 11 is fixed in thestator in engagement with a slot 18 in the stud. The hook 24 has a notch23, dimensioned to permit the passage therethrough of the flange l5, anda tenon 22 of sufficient width at the bottom of the notch 23 to providemechanical strength and wear-resistance for the engagement with theflange 15.

The operation of the device takes place as follows:

When the key 10 and the cylinder 2 are in the position (I) correspondingto FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, it is impossible to rotate the cylinder, as theflange l5 laterally abuts against the hook 24; consequently locking ofthe antitheft device cannot occur.

In order to obtain rotation of the key and the cylinder and to bringthem into the position (0), it is necessary to press upon the end 4 ofthe stud l7, compressing the spring 21 as shown by FIGS. 7 and 8, sothat the tenon 22 is positioned beneath the flange l5 and the flange 15can pass into the notch 23 whereby rotation of the rotor 2 can takenplace to bring the rotor 2 into the position (0), in which position itis possible to withdraw the key and thereby obtain locking of, forexample, the steering.

It is optional whether the lock construction is such as to permitwithdrawal of the key in position (I) or by known mechanism to preventwithdrawal of the key in that position, though the former is the morecommon arrangement. In either case, actuation of the safety deviceaccording to the invention is necessary to rotate the cylinder to the(0) position, the only position effecting locking by at least partialwithdrawal of the key.

FIGS. 9 to 12 illustrate another mechanical embodiment of the invention,in which:

The stud 7 is of simpler construction; it acts upon a leaf spring 5 theend 26 of which, when the cylinder is in the (I) position, abuts againsta shoulder 27 protruding from the base 6. A thrust exerted upon theexposed end of the stud 7 effects lateral moving aside of the spring 5by the other end of the stud 7 which moving aside permits the shoulder27 to pass in order to effect rotation of the cylinder to the (0)position by means of the key, whereupon there may be effected thewithdrawal of the latter and, consequently, the locking of the antitheftdevice.

The dimensions of the raised portion of the rotor base are alwaysdetermined by the phases or the kinematic program imposed for theantitheft device in its mechanical and electrical functions foroperating the various main and auxiliary, running and starting circuits.Furthermore, neither the introduction of the key nor the rotation of thecylinder in the active direction, i.e., from the (0) to the (I) to the(II) to the (III) position, is prevented by the devices as described.Conventionally, the (III) position of the cylinder closes the startercircuit and when the key is released by the driver once the engine isfiring regularly, the cylinder rotates to the (ll) position in which therunning circuits are closed.

While the invention has been described by reference to specificembodiments thereof, it is intended thereby only to illustrate and notto limit the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lock of the type having an elongated rotor and a stator, bothbeing substantially coextensive axially and the rotor extending in thestator from an exposed end to an inner end of the rotor, for rotation bya key insertable and removable through the exposed end, by the user'sengaging the key head with his fingers, the improvement which comprises:a spring in the stator for selectively permitting and preventing saidrotation of the rotor; an abutment mounted on the inner end of the rotorfor rotation therewith, subject to engagement with said spring and forconsequent blocking of further rotation of the rotor; and rod meansaxially displaceable in the stator, adjacent the periphery of the keyhead engaged by the user, and having one end protruding from the exposedend; the other end of the rod means and the spring being so constructedand arranged that, when the protruding end of the rod means is manuallydepressed the other end of the rod means urges the spring out of thenormal position thereof, which blocks said further rotation, wherebyuser, when trying to remove the key from the rotor with fingers of onehand and at the same time to rotate the rotor, can effectively achievesuch rotating only by first depressing the protruding end of the rodmeans with another finger of the same hand.

2. A lock according to claim 1, wherein said spring is a leaf springextending through the stator from adjacent the exposed end to the innerend of the rotor.

3. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the leaf spring is disposedoutside the rodlike spring actuator.

4. A lock according to claim 2, wherein the leaf spring has, between itsends, an inclined surface engageable by the rod means. 7

5. A lock according to claim I, for locking a control element, said lockfurther including a bolt, and means for engaging the bolt with thecontrol element when the rotor is in one of the rotary positionsthereof, and for disengaging the bolt from the control element in atleast one other rotary position of the rotor.

6. A lock according to claim 5 in which the means for engaging anddisengaging the bolt with the control element is so constructed andarranged as to effect such engaging only upon partial withdrawal of thekey from the lock.

1. In a lock of the type having an elongated rotor and a stator, bothbeing substantially coextensive axially and the rotor extending in thestator from an exposed end to an inner end of the rotor, for rotation bya key insertable and removable through the exposed end, by the user''sengaging the key head with his fingers, the improvement which comprises:a spring in the stator for selectively permitting and preventing saidrotation of the rotor; an abutment mounted on the inner end of the rotorfor rotation therewith, subject to engagement with said spring and forconsequent blocking of further rotation of the rotor; and rod meansaxially displaceable in the stator, adjacent the periphery of the keyhead engaged by the user, and having one end protruding from the exposedend; the other end of the rod means and the spring being so constructedand arranged that, when the protruding end of the rod means is manuallydepressed the other end of the rod means urges the spring out of thenormal position thereof, which blocks said further rotation, wherebyuser, when trying to remove the key from the rotor with fingers of onehand and at the same time to rotate the rotor, can effectively achievesuch rotating only by first depressing the protruding end of the rodmeans with another finger of the same hand.
 2. A lock according to claim1, wherein said spring is a leaf spring extending through the statorfrom adjacent the exposed end to the inner end of the rotor.
 3. A lockaccording to claim 2, wherein the leaf spring is disposed outside therodlike spring actuator.
 4. A lock according to claim 2, wherein theleaf spring has, between its ends, an inclined surface engageable by therod means.
 5. A lock according to claim 1, for locking a controlelement, said lock fuRther including a bolt, and means for engaging thebolt with the control element when the rotor is in one of the rotarypositions thereof, and for disengaging the bolt from the control elementin at least one other rotary position of the rotor.
 6. A lock accordingto claim 5 in which the means for engaging and disengaging the bolt withthe control element is so constructed and arranged as to effect suchengaging only upon partial withdrawal of the key from the lock.